Percepção das mulheres durante o puerpério após vivenciarem as práticas integrativas e complementares durante a gestação

Abstract

Introduction: Integrative and complementary practices emerge as a promising approach to promoting comprehensive care. These practices are especially relevant in prenatal care, childbirth and the postpartum period, in line with Brazilian public policies and advanced nursing practice, which seeks to provide quality care and meet the complex needs of healthcare users. Objective: to understand the strengths perceived by women during the postpartum period, in relation to the care provided by obstetric nurses, including integrative and complementary practices (PICs) adopted by obstetric nurses and impacting this period. Method: This descriptive study with a qualitative approach is part of a broader research entitled "Integrative and Complementary Practices during the Gestational Period: Strengths-Based Care". Eleven women who attended the Center for Integrative and Complementary Therapies at Hospital Sofia Feldman, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, participated. Data collection was carried out from October to December 2022, through interviews that were carried out at the postpartum women's own homes and only 1 interview was carried out at the NTIP/UPC facilities, due to the postpartum woman having a previously scheduled return visit. A script of questions related to the object of study was used as the main source of data. The data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis, with the support of IRAMUTEC© software. The study followed ethical protocols for research with human beings. Results: Two categories emerged from the data analysis: 1) resignification of the perspective of postpartum women who were cared for by obstetric nurses, within the core of integrative practices, thus strengthening them for the challenges experienced during this period; 2) Empowerment in the postpartum period, which allowed postpartum women to develop their knowledge about decisions related to childbirth. Conclusion: The practical use of integrative and complementary practices (PICs) in a personalized way contributes to more humanized, individualized and woman-centered care, meeting the complex needs of users of the Unified Health System.